First of all, let me tell you I am no sadya expert. As much as I love to devour them, the thought of making a sadya on my own gives me jitters. I have been planning to make one for the past 4 years at least, but somehow it just wouldn’t work out or something would come in the middle. This time, with the help of my sister-in-law, I decided to go for it, and boy, amn’t I happy that I did it! A sadya is basically a Kerala style all-vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf, during state festivals like Onam. They are also served during Hindu weddings and special functions, however in a smaller scale. When I go home, even for our weddings, there is always a section for vegetarian meals, because a lot of the guests, including my parents, prefer them. I would alternate on the biriyani and the veg meals for each wedding I would attent.

Every Onam, usually we order in a sadya and enjoy it to the core. The sadya that I enjoyed the most has to be the one that I shared with my close college friend, when she and I were carrying our second children. We were just two weeks apart in our pregnancies. Rasha used to be with her after her playschool, since umma was back home. Onam fell during Ramadan and our pregnancy meant we both weren’t fasting. I booked two sadyas for both of us. After work, I picked them up, landed up in her home and both of us ate literally like pigs! There was nothing left in the entire kit. After that, we literally went into a coma and woke up very close to Maghrib. I had to rush home to atleast make juice for Iftar for HD and B.

Another memory of a sadya has to be in my school bestie’s home, when I was in grade 9 or 10. Her amma is a wonderful cook and I was really excited about having a home-made sadya. After serving all the sides, she served us a piece of fried chicken leg. It felt like sacrilege to me. Seeing my confused face, she said, “Mole, evide aarkum kozhiyillaand sadya irangoolaa…” (Dear, here, nobody will be able to eat a sadya without chicken…) Hehe… After very long, I was told that some Hindu families especially those who live in the Malabar region do serve a fried non-veg dish as a part of their sadya. How interesting…

If there is a reason I am doing this post, it is mainly for my reference and maybe for many others who may be ignorant – just like me! – about the dishes that go on a banana leaf. Most of the posts that I could find online were just recipes that was already available on their respective side, while I was looking for a list that would have all the details, more like a reference. A special thanks to Meena, who actually took the time to type out a whole email with a full list of dishes and who kept replying to all my questions on Whassap… <3

Below are the list of items that go on a banana leaf along with a link back to the recipes that are already there on the blog. I will come back and update this list as and when I add new recipes to it. Even though I have a tab called “Sadya Recipes“, do know that not all of those are traditionally served. There are so many variations of the same recipe, but I want to keep as close to authenticity. As far as I understand, the vegetables used are what is in season at the time of the sadya, like usually yam, raw banana, ash gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, string beans, etc. Coconut is used in almost every recipe. The spice used is usually cumin and, in some cases, fenugreek. Fennel is a big no because it is considered to be a non-vegetarian flavoring, so is garlic, except in rasam.

Let me put together a list of items that go on a sadya…

1. Banana leaf – of course, that is on what the whole meal is served. There are banana paper leaves available these days, however the original ones make it all the better.
2. Rice – you can serve matta rice or parboiled rice. It is matta rice always, hands down for us.
3. Chips – usually quarter cut banana chips are served. It seems you can serve chakka chips as well, but depending on availability.
4. Sarkaravaratti – this is banana chips, that are coated with jaggery and is ginger flavored.
5. Miscelleaneous Sides – some serve kondaattam aka dried and fried red chillies, and salt on the side.
6. Pappadam – no veg meals without pappadam, sometimes two of them!
7. Pazham – the small banana is usually what is provided.
8. Pickles – at least two pickles are served in the sadya. Puli Inji or sweet and sour ginger pickle is a must serve – recipe coming up soon. The other pickles that are usually served are lemon and mango. It is rare to find any other pickle finding its place on the leaf.
9. Pachadi and Kichadi – There is such a thin line between these two dishes. I had first thought or understood that the former has coconut added into it and the latter didn’t. However, from district to district, there seems to be a blur between both of them and they are interused. There are various varieties of vegetable used for making this dish.
   1. Beetroot Pachadi
   2. Vendakka Kichadi
10. Kaalan – a thick curry of yams and raw bananas (recipe coming soon)
11. Olan – it is a coconut milk based gravy with a water vegetable, mostly gourds and with chawli aka small kidney beans. (recipe coming soon)
12. Upperi/ Mezhukupuratti/ Thoran – a vegetable stir fry with simple flavors. Three names for the same dish, but with the difference that Thoran is inclusive of coconut, while the other two may not use coconut. I always skip coconut in my stir fries, mainly due to laziness. One or two varieties can be served. Some of the usually served options are:
    1. Cabbage Upperi
    2. String Beans Upperi
    3. Carrot Upperi
    4. French Beans Upperi
    5. Raw Banana Upperi
13. Koottu Curry – it is a thick side made with usually yam, raw banana and black chickpeas. It is my favorite dish for a sadya, so much that I always ask for two servings. (recipe coming soon)
14. Aviyal – A thick side with vegetables cut into sticks. That is the easiest way to recognize it. The way it is cooked for a sadya is different from how I usually cook. (recipe coming soon)
15. Erissery – this is usually an optional item, since it is very similar to the Koottu Curry, but you can make it if you want more varieties on your leaf. It is made with pumpkin and black eyed peas or red eyed beans.
16. Parippu – during a sadya, what is served is simply cooked and seasoned toor dal. There is nothing that goes into it. This recipe has some coconut added and tempering done, but for a sadya, only the cooking part is done.
17. Ghee – this is poured over the paripp on top of the rice.
18. Sambar – there are varieties of sambar that can be made.
    1. Varutharacha sambar, which is definitely the best way to make it, but if you have the time to do the whole process, in midst of cooking so much for a sadya…
    2. Tiffin sambar – an easier version of the sambar
    3. Vengaaya sambar – with only shallots and nothing else in the sambar
    4. Instant sambar, if you want to do some cheat recipe… hehe…
19. Pulissery – this is a curry with yogurt and ground coconut. Does it ring bells? When I was doing my research, I was shocked that it was so similar to this curry, that is such a regular in my house, but with a little difference in the ground coconut mixture. You can use water based vegetables like gourd or cucumber, or for more variety, mangoes and pineapples too, making it a sweeter version. Alternatively, you could serve sambaaram or simply kaachirya moru – you can refer to this recipe, but you can avoid the grinding part. Simply temper and whisk in yogurt and turmeric.
20. Rasam – This is like a palette cleanser and sipped after enjoying the entire heavy meal. This is the only meal that uses garlic. Below are some rasam options:
    1. My favorite Tamarind Rasam
    2. Thakkali Rasam aka Tomato Rasam
    3. Kollu Rasam
21. Pradhaman – I don’t know if you are like me, but I wait very eagerly for the two last bits of the sadya. Yes, the sweet dish! Hehe… It is no dessert or pudding, but the drinkable sweet stuff. A pradhaman is a must during a sadya. It is made with coconut milk and jaggery, in different varieties. Some options:
    1. Ada Pradhaman – usually the most prepared
    2. Cherupayarparipp Pradhaman – my favorite
    3. Kadala Paripp Pradhaman
    4. Nurukk Gothamb Pradhaman
    5. Nenthrapazham Pradhaman
22. Payasam – Some sadyas serve only a pradhaman, and I get very agitated about it. When there are so many varieties on the leaf, then why not two desserts! But many do. Payasam is made with milk and sugar and hence is usually lighter in shade. Semiya Payasam is usually not a sadya item, yet many of them do make it, especially during potlucks. Some of the payasam options are:
    1. Paal Payasam – mostly made and popular
    2. Chavvari Payasam
    3. Semiya Ada Payasam – like the best of two worlds… I just realized I don’t have a paalada payasam recipe on the blog, so that one goes into my list of must-dos.

Some of you may have heard of an item called “Boli”, which is basically a Trivandrum must-have on a sadya. The boli is a sweetened lentil flatbread and is usually savored with paal payasam. Since it is only applicable to a small region, I am not adding it to the above.

There may be more to this list, but I guess this is a fair and concise list to refer to when you want to make a sadya. I did take a little time to plan out to cook the whole meal.

• First of all, plan out the grocery list. Once the items are finalized, put down the list especially for the vegetables, check if you have all the other ingredients like the dried lentils and spices used and shop in one go.
• Since most of the recipes are coconut laden, it can’t be made in advance. However, puli inji is one item you can make a week before and dump into the fridge. The more it sits, the better.
• Two days before, soak the dried lentils for the koottu curry and olan. Cook, drain and store in the fridge.
• On the previous day:
  • Make your sambar first. Sambar tastes better as it sits, so you can finish it off first.
  • Cut all the vegetables and keep them as per usage.
  • Soak the lentils for the erisseri.
  • Cook the dal for the paripp, pradhaman and rasam, both if that is menu.
  • Precook the vegetables for the aviyal and kootu curry just before you go to sleep.
  • Make the mezhukupuratti. If using coconut, do not add it till the next day.
• On the day of the sadya:
  • Cook the rice first and drain.
  • Finish off the aviyal and the koottu curry.
  • Cook the erisseri and finish off
  • Simmer the payasam on the corner stove.
  • Finish off the kalan and olan. I just kept going from one run of the cooker to the other. Hehe…
  • Make the rasam and the pulissery.
  • Go through your entire list and tick off as and when done. Store properly till the time of serving.

Once the prep work is done, it isn’t tough, though not simple as well. Hehe… The whole process can be tiring but is indeed rewarding when everything turns out well. Will I cook a sadya again? I doubt it – I would rather do potlucks and contribute two or three dishes than do the whole thing by myself and strain myself. Another part is that a sadya will always have a lot of leftovers. However, my folks aren’t fond of previous day food, and I struggle to ensure that everything is finished. I am just happy that I did it for the blog. It felt like I was working on a huge project and finally ticked it off. After leaving work, this is perhaps the time I got the rush and the feel of deadlines.

On a side note – doing this post itself felt like making a whole sadya… I hope you find this post helpful, and do look forward to a few of the sadya recipes lined up… Though they are not in time to prepare them, it can of course be put into your bookmarks.

The post Kerala Sadya for Dummies | Introduction, List of Dishes appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Coming back to the final part of this series, that I had initially thought would fit into one post… I am grateful for the great response that I have received for the previous two posts, Alhamdulillah… Without much ado, let us get to today’s post…

Fridge Essentials

One thing that I stock up is my fridge, especially of those items that have sufficient expiry dates. Some of the stuff I keep are:

Condiments – Some of them that I keep on a regular basis are ketchup, mayonnaise, soya sauce, mustard sauce and chilli sauce. The only one that I tend to add on during the month is tamarind sauce, for my chaat prepping, especially our favorite chana chaat.

Eggs – since eggs have sufficient date, I always make sure I have a full tray in my pantry at any given time. This is a very convenient ingredient whether it comes to making a lot of snacks, or even as a meal idea. Some of my favorite snacks are egg bhaji and mutta puffs. It goes into a lot of other snacks, like the chattipathiri, the kaipola or the paal mutta urapichath. I also have them as a part of my suhoor, so I can never run out of eggs.

I can’t think of anything else to be stocked in my fridge, since fruits, vegetables and dairy like milk and yogurt are part of the weekly purchase, which gets done either online or on a weekday when mornings aren’t crowded at the outlets.

Freezer Essentials

This is one section I concentrate on a lot during the month. I at times wish I had a bigger freezer, but I better not be ungrateful for whatever I have. There are stuff that I buy specifically during the month, mainly because of the increase in snacks being created.

Puff Pastry – I buy my puff pasty in promo packs. My girls love anything to do with puffs. The beauty of this ingredient is that we can make it sweet or savory. We love apple hand pies and banana Nutella puffs at times, but mostly I make chicken puffs and easy pot pies, among the many more easy snacks that can be made with it.

Samosa sheets – I am not a fan of samosas, since I never get the triangle shape right. But my girls love samosas and I usually make them more in squares, like this jalapeno version and these simple pockets. I also love making them into this pie and these cups, as they are much more easier to maintain. Hehe… I usually get one pack of 50s, never more than that…

Spring Roll sheets – My girls love spring rolls, so I make them at least a couple of times. Last Ramadan I discovered that we could use them for making the sweet chattipathiri, so you could make that as well, especially if you get the big sheets… Just like the samosa sheet, I get only one pack.

Sausages – Though it is a given in my fridge, I tend to use them a little more frequently during the month. From sausage puffs to cutlet to pakoda to rolls to even making a savory bread pudding, this is a very handy ingredient for a quick snack or even time strapped meal times.

Minced chicken – Now this is not something I keep in my pantry on a regular basis but I buy and keep a couple of packs handy during the month, to make easy snacks like kheema toasties or these easy tarts. They come very handy to make some quick fix dinner like keema macaroni or kheema seviyan. If you have quick access to fresh mince, then you can skip this ingredient completely from your list though.

Frozen chicken breast – This is like a given for me. There is nothing that you can’t make with it. I mean, I don’t want to even link recipes as to what you can make with them, but I am sure you know how life saving this can be, especially if you buy packs that have individually frozen breast pieces. Whether you want to make shawarma for a do-it-yourself kind of dinner or make some Irani pola, this list is literally endless…

Just like fruits and vegetables, I tend to order fresh chicken, meat and fish on a weekly basis, so that I don’t tend to stock up on them. Alhamdulillah for the growth of ordering online, that you don’t even have to waste much time walking around the aisles of the supermarket and instead concentrate on what you are intending to do during the month.

I know if I wanted to, this could have gone on and on, but I feel I have covered the basics to have a stress free Ramadan as far as your kitchen and cooking are concerned, InShaAllah. You can read part 1 and part 2 on the links, if you haven’t yet… May Allah bless us with Ramadan and the goodness of the month… Aameen Ya Rubb…

The post Getting your kitchen Ramadan ready… {Part 3} appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

The continuation of the last post about getting your kitchen Ramadan ready…

I hope that the first part of this series was quite helpful to all of you. Without too much of brush up, let’s dive into the rest…

Canned Food and Cupboard Staples

I find canned food extremely helpful especially when it comes to making quick meals during Ramadan. I don’t buy and keep too much of it, since I am not very fond of them, but they make life so much easier when needed… Listing up the staples I stock up during this time…

• Tuna – I buy tuna in brine, since they are less oily and easier to manage. My girls love tuna toasties and at times, I use them to make quick cutlets too. Malu Paan is another snack that can double up as a meal, healthy and delicious…
• Sweet Corn – This is a very versatile ingredient, especially if you want to make some quick salad or even soup, like this super delicious vegan soup or this one with chicken and oats. I love these shallow fried vadas, that are really easy to make for your cup of tea after Iftar.
• Custard and Jelly – This is a given. My girls love to have jelly custard cups at least once every three days. I don’t buy the offer pack for jellies, rather pick loose of what flavors we like, even though I do buy custard, since it gets used up somehow, especially by making the Habbal Hamra. If we have guests, then the broken jelly pudding is a must. The jelly mousse pudding is another favorite.
• Condensed milk, evaporated milk, packet cream and whipping cream powder sachets – The reason why I put them together is that they get used in tandem, especially if you like to make desserts during Ramadan. I don’t like eating too much sweet things during the month, but at times I do. Some desserts I absolutely love during the month are the creamy fruit chaat, saffron egg pudding, and the bread kunafa. I also love making single serve puddings like the Kifaya pudding, mango cheesecake shots and baked yogurt. Try making this Creamy Delight for Iftar… All I can say is that it is absolutely delightful. For those who love their karak, evaporated milk is a must, though I always prefer my fresh milk tea. You can also use it in easy dinner dishes like this baked chicken spaghetti. The options and choices are literally endless with these ingredients.
• China Grass and gelatin – There are homes that make desserts using china grass every other day. I make the milk pudding once in a while, since it is a very soothing dessert to the tummy. Though gelatin is not a must, I use them to make the butter souffle or pannacotta as individual desserts as needed.

I also make sure I have tomato paste for some quick meal ideas like the bread pizza or even for main meals like Thareed. Instant yeast is also a must in my pantry, of course for making Lqeimats and those baked goodies like the chicken bread and spinach labneh rolls. How could I forget rose syrup? My girls prefer a cup of cold rose milk anytime instead of juice and even this rose milk pudding. Since I have some sago in my pantry, I may as well make this refreshing Sago Rose Milk if time permits, InShaAllah…

I prefer using store bought ginger garlic paste instead of making them fresh, just to save some time. But if you have time, then do make them in advance and keep a part of it in the refrigerator, while the remaining is frozen, just to avoid spoilage. Since I do make chaats – like this hatke one with paneer – during the month, I keep a bottle of green chilli sauce and tamarind sauce handy. They are always available on offer during the month. Another thing to look at is your supply of oil. My source is always coconut, olive oil, ghee and butter, but for deep frying, I prefer canola oil and try to keep my frying to the minimal.

Spices, Dry Fruits and Nuts

A quick run down on your spice cabinet to make sure that you have everything for your day-to-day cooking is essential. I keep my regular spices like coriander, turmeric and chilli powders all readily available, as well whole spices I commonly use like cardamom and black pepper. There is no Ramadan without dates, so I make sure I have enough to cover for the whole month. I also make sure that I have sufficient almonds, cashews and raisins. I have to say that there is nothing as refreshing as a cup of warm badam milk during Iftar time. The dates almond milkshake is the laziest yet filling suhoor drink that you can ever have.

You can buy a lot of ingredients, but I believe in keeping just what you will use and not overwhelming yourself in the process. I have experienced a lot of near expiry in the initial years of trying to manage alone, because I thought I would use them, and ended up not doing so. Before you decide to splurge on the sales that you will see in all major supermarkets during this time, make informed and wise decisions, that will ensure that you will end up with just enough that you can use and nothing will end up being binned.

I wasn’t even intending to do a part three, but it feels inevitable with the way the list is going. So definitely stay tuned for that post as well…

The post Getting your kitchen Ramadan ready! {Part 2} appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Ramadan is almost at our doorstep. The excitement to welcome this blessed month starts when Rajab begins. Many of us start fasting, getting our salaah in order, increase on our charity or simply concentrate on bettering our character. There is a reason why I totally love the below hadith…

Prophet Mohammed ﷺ said, “The deeds most beloved in the eyes of Allah Ta’aala are those deeds carried out with continuity (regularity) although they may be small” (Sahih al-Muslim)

This simple hadith stresses on the fact that we do not need to do huge things to make our Lord happy. Even small, consistent efforts any time is loved by Him. It is also a reminder for me, as well as all of us, that whatever we incorporate into our lives getting ready for Ramadan, must also continue into the next Ramadan, InShaAllah…

I already have a few pots that I have done before, that I have aptly named as “Ramadan Series“. I realized while trying to do a post this year, that it has been four years since the last post. Seriously? :O I am shocked to say the least, especially considering the speed how Ramadan flies. I was trying to figure out what post to do this time, since I have already covered a few basics earlier, except that some more posts have been added to the blog after. That is when I thought, maybe a post on how to get your kitchen ready to welcome the month, so that you are concentrating on your Ibadah and not on ordering groceries…

While I get into the details as we go on, maybe you can read some posts to get yourself spiritually ready, like this one and this one. Living in a Muslim country makes it much easier to observe our fasts, thanks to the shortened working times. But that isn’t the case with many who are in Western countries. Many of them resort to doing some Ramadan décor and plan some interesting activities over the month to bring in the spirit of the month for their children. A lot of us do deep cleaning of our homes too. I am already planning to get the cleaners in to do some very deep cleaning that may go upto at least 8 hours, thanks to all the dust from the dredging outside. I am not going to talk about it. OK, so let us get to business…

My first step is always going through my pantry and taking account of each and everything I have. This will give me an idea of what I have available, what is almost finishing off, what are nearing its expiry, and what I need to buy which I usually don’t. Once that is done, I make a very elaborative grocery list, to make sure I have sufficient stock of everything I need of all the bulk items, so that I don’t have to do a run for them during the month. Let us go through by each section:

Carbs

Since this is a big part of our daily eating habits, I make sure I have stocked up on rice, flour and other carbs.

• Since I don’t cook too much rice meals, my matta rice stock stays on the lower side, just for those once-in-a-while rice meal cravings.
• Same goes for stock of jeerakashala rice, except for maybe that one time I make Kalthappam.  making neychor along with my lazy chicken curry, or even making fish biriyani if I get good kingfish.
• Similar is with basmati and raw rice, the usage depends upon what I am in a mood to cook. Apart from regular rice dishes, I am going to make Harissa at least once this time, since it is an amazingly filling meal, so is the Arseeyah. Jeerakanji is another indispensable part of our Ramadan meals. Even you could try the Baked Rice Casserole for a different dinner idea.
• I also keep sufficient stock of whole wheat, since I make harees, aleesa and masala aleesa whenever I can. I am also planning to repeat up the Gothambu Kaachiyath and Mussara since I haven’t had it in a long time.
• I rarely make chapathis or parathas but there is always aatta (whole wheat flour) in the pantry for when I am in a mood to make them. I even make aatta ka doodh for Iftar times when I want a change.
• I keep all-purpose flour for many snacks that usually get made, like samosas, chatti pathiri. chicken rolls and elanjis. I even make the paalooda once in a while.
• Of course, rice flour is always a must to make pathiris and orottis.

The other carbs I keep in stock is semolina for making thari kanji, oats for making oats kanji or adding into quick fix haleem and besan aka chickpea flour, for making besan doodh for Iftar time and for that once-in-a-while pakodas.  I am also planning to do a repeat run of the besan dahi bhalla for Iftar this time. Even though I don’t make much with pasta, I still keep a couple of packs handy, in case we need a break from eating our traditional food most of the days. The Creamy Pasta and the White Sauce pasta always wins. How can I forget corn starch? It is the best thing to have to make the Muhallabiehs and the Aish el Saraya…

Pulses and Lentils

I have a family who don’t enjoy dal dishes, and hence I cook them very rarely. The only lentils I keep stock in my pantry are usually chickpeas and black chana. Chaat is one dish I like to make as snack since they are quite easy and my girls enjoy the black chana chaat and the chickpea chaat. I keep chana dal too to make masala vada when Rasha asks for it or when I crave for it, and even for making the kozhi vadas. Even though we don’t make dosas much, urad dal is kept in case a dosa craving may arise. It is upto you to decide what lentils you need to stock as required by your family. We hardly make soups and usually if I do wish for one, then it is shorbat adas.

I think for today, this is quite more to handle. Let us look at the remaining sections in the next post, InShaAllah…

The post Welcoming Ramadan… Getting your kitchen Ramadan ready! appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Last month as a part of the Blogging Marathon #94, a few us had selected the theme “Sweets without Refined Ingredients”. Since the theme is of particular interest to me, I decided to take up the opportunity of doing the round-up of posts for this theme. As you can see below, there are some amazing recipes from some lovely bloggers of sweets that you can enjoy, without feeling too much guilt. A word of caution though – sweets are sweets, and will be calorie laden, how much ever you try to keep them “healthy”, so enjoy in moderation and exercise caution.

So here is the snapshot of all those lovely bloggers who contributed to this very interesting theme…

Gayathri’s Cook Spot:

Sathu Maavu/ Multi Grain Flour Cookies

Kadalai Parippu Thengai Urundu/ Peanut Coconut Balls

Bajra Gur Roti

Bhavana of Code 2 Cook:

Dates Oats Laddu

Gajar Halwa with Jaggery

Dry Fruits and Peanut Chikki

From Harini’s Tamalapaku:

Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal

Pumpkin Almond Bites

Sweetened Puffed Rice Bites

From Valli’s Cooking 4 All Seasons:

Pesalu Payasam | Whole Moong Jaggery Pudding

Eggless Wholewheat Ragi Triple Chocolate Cake

Eggless Atta Jaggery Double Chocolate Brownies

And then finally, my three…

Honey Yogurt Cheesecake

Dates Bliss Balls

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins | Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Hope all of  you liked the round-up. If you wish to pin this post for later use, do use the first image! Cheers to healthier sweets and better eating…

The post Roundup: Sweets without Refined Ingredients appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Since we concentrated on savory snacks in the last post, let’s look at having something sweet! Normally Ramadan is not a time when many have sweet stuff. In fact, in our house sweet is restricted to juices and maybe the sheera like drink we have at the time of Iftar. And then the fruits! Otherwise, if I bake or make something sweet, it remains untouched for quite a long time. Still, I am sure there are many who like to relish something sweet after their Iftar, dinner or maybe even Suhoor. This post is for those people then.  I am dividing the post into portions so that it becomes easier to navigate, InShaAllah.

First I will concentrate on drinks. Smoothies, Milkshakes and Juices are such a prominent part of the Iftar table. I don’t think even a day passes without me trying different varieties, since we all need it as soon as we have our dates and water. Here are some personal favorites:

Dates Almond Milkshake

Fruit Custard Drink – leftover magic of Iftar!

Carrot Milkshake

Watermelon Milkshake

Velvet Smoothi

Emirati Falooda

Arabian Grape Juice

Qamardeen – a traditional Arab drink

Mixed Berry Smoothie

Sharjah Shake  – a personal favorite!

Rose Lemonade

Kiwi Green Grape Juice

Sago Rose Milk– giving your simple rose milk a twist!

Orange Mango Juice

Coconut Water Chia Cooler

Banana Almond Smoothie

Apple Kiwi Smoothie

Strawberry Milk

We also have this habit of drinking something thick and heavy. This keeps our stomach really filled and full too. Here are some Hot Filling Drinks for Iftar time:

Thari Kanji

Ragi Malt

Aata Ka Doodh

Besan Doodh

Sahlab

Oats Kanji

Badaam Paal

Koova Kaachiyathu

Sweet Snacks – when we have guests and make multiple dishes for Iftar, sometimes we do want to make at least one item sweet. Here are some ideas:

Sweet Bread Balls

Pinjiyappam

Unnakaaya – one snack that is frozen for the whole month in many Malabar houses!

Kaipola/ Plantain Egg Cake

Eathapazham Porichathu

Banana Nutella Puffs

Eylanchi

Lqeimat | Luqaimat ~ Emirati Yeasted Dumplings

Pazhampori

Podipola/ Kumsi 

Carrot Pola 

Custard Sewiyan

Apple Hand Pies

Desserts – sometimes, we do crave for some cold or warm desserts, that go well during Iftar time or like a treat after dinner, once the Tharaweeh prayers are over. Here are some easy options:

Haupia

Coffee Pudding

Muhallabieh – an Arab favorite during Ramadan!

Rose Milk Pudding

Mango Cheesecake Shots

Tiramisu Shots

Elaneer Pudding

Layali Lubnan

Fruit and Nut Custard – a family favorite any time!

Serradura

Strawberry Jelly Pudding

Rose Flavored Yogurt Mousse

Lemon Cream Cheese Pudding

Baked Custard

Baked Goodies are not something that is generally welcomed in my house during Ramadan, but I know of some who like to have cakes as a part of their Suhoor or just a light meal in between. Here are some healthy bakes, which stay well for a longer period too…

Wholewheat Date Cocoa Muffins

Moist Banana Cake

French Yogurt Cake

Apple Flax Muffins

White House Honey Oat Muffins

Simple Carrot Cake

Joining in the party are some of my blogger friends, with their special sweet offerings for all of you…

If you like to be a bit prepared, then look no further than Niloufer’s Lemon Concentrate. Make it ready, keep it in the fridge and you can have lemonade everyday without the fuss of having to juice lemons daily!

Basbousa is one dessert that appears on Ramadan Iftar tables in many households, and mango is in season – so combine it up to make Fami’s Mango Basbousa.

If you like a really light fruity dessert, then here is Lubna’s Mango Fool – not to get fooled by the name, I bet it is delicious!

Huma’s Ande Ka Burrada is a very interesting dessert, for those small bites.

Since Ramadan is going to be in summers in many countries, here is a very healthy dessert for your Iftar or even Suhoor – Shanaz’s Basil Chia Seeds Yogurt Fruit Parfait

Caffeinated drinks are usually not advised during long fasting hours. What about some Hijazi Almond Coffee that Shazia brings along? No, there is no coffee at all, just almonds, milk and some spices!

Shabbu has come with a traditional Malabar snack called Kalthappam – one of my favorite snacks!

Asiya comes with her simple Fruits Custard, so apt for an easy Iftar snack.

Ruxana shares her version of the Thari Kaachiyathu made in pure coconut milk.

Nazeeha shares her love for anything passion fruit with this Passion Fruit Delicious, so apt for a light after dinner dessert.

Sadia brings along her popular Bread Kanafa which is a quick fix version of the traditiona Kunafa.

Since dates are an important part of an Iftar menu, we can’t ignore Zareena’s version of the Rangienak, a delicious date dessert in a wheat base.

If you are in an elaborate mood, then you can try Lubna Jidda’s Royal Pista Falooda, all made from scratch.

Asiya’s Banana Almond Protein Smoothie is just enough to get you back to your energies after a long hot fasting day or even for Suhoor.

If you want something different for your Iftar, then here’s Niznaz’s Coconut Milk Caramel Shake… sounds yum!

Layered desserts are always a favorite, so I am sure Aisha’s Layered Custard Dessert with Strawberry Compote clicks all the right notes!

Hope you all enjoyed this post and found it useful. InShaAllah, over the coming days, you will see some really easy recipes that you can try and cook for the month, just like how I like it – that won’t take much of your time. Hope to see you all sticking around…

The post Ramadan Drinks and Desserts | Ramadan Recipes appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I surely understand – we would like to be more ready with our choice of food so that we don’t spend time thinking too much on those lines. I still know of households where food plays a major role on the tables. Alhamdulillah, I have a family who loves simple food, so most of the time, I don’t end up doing very elaborate preparations. But that’s not the case with all. So today, we focus on what appears on our tables as soon as the Maghrib azaan is announced.

I usually have a big platter of fruits on the table, of whatever is available. The eatables are usually done after our Maghrib prayer, over a cup of hot chai. The all-time favorites have to always be deep fried goodies. So let’s review them first!

Cutlets, tikkis and croquettes – these deep fried bite sized goodness is a crowd pleaser. You can make them in so many ways:

Chicken Cutlets

Paneer Soya Cutlets

Samak Koufta

Tuna Cutlets

Prawns Cutlet

Kheema Tikkis

Fish Cutlet

Soya Cutlets

Chicken Sausage Cutlet

Cheesy Rice Cutlets

Aloo/ Potato Tikkis

Emirati style Beef Patties

Chicken Croquettes

Bitterballen

Kilikoodu

Croquette De Poisson

Pakodas – these are the easiest deep fried snacks you can make when you run out of ideas! I don’t think there is anything that can’t be turned into a pakoda! Here are some:

Chicken Pakodas

Egg Pakoda – a personal favorite!

Ulli Vada – family favorite!

Chicken Sausage Pakodas

Masoor Dal Pakoda

Mixed Vegetable Pakoda

Palak Pakodas

Cabbage Pakodas

Other fried savory snacks – anything that don’t come under cutlets and pakodas? Then here are some ideas for you:

Chicken Cheese Pockets

Vegetable Potato Balls

Carrot Corn Fritters

Kozhi Masala Vada

Kannur Style Chicken Rolls

Chicken Samosas – all from scratch!

Sweet Corn Vada

Baked and steamed – frying is not necessarily healthy, so why not try some considerably health friendly options?

Athishaya Pathiri – must try!

Egg Puffs

Sausage Puffs

Pizza Rolls

Cheese Vegetable Sausage Muffins

Soya Mince Pies
Mini Cheese Oregano Roll-ups
Cheesy Vegetable Puffs

Chemmeen Kinnapathiri

Chicken Olive Bread Cups

Mini Sausage Rolls

Erachi Pola

Samosa Cups

Baked Mushroom Cutlets

Savory Semolina Cake

Chicken Bread
Soya Masala Buns

Eggless Garlic Zaatar (Thyme) Rolls
Tandoori Chicken Buns

Masala Buns ~ Potato Stuffed Buns

Simple sandwiches and rolls – sometimes you just need them in two pieces of carbs!

Tuna Mayo Sandwiches

Cheesy Egg Croissants

Paneer Kathi Rolls

Cucumber Labneh Sandwiches

Chicken Corn Quesadillas

To make the party merrier, I invited a few of my fellow bloggers to come along with a dish from their blogs, so that my lovely readers can have more ideas!

Madelon came along with her Cheese Taco Shells with Veggie Filling – with the health world going ga-ga over low carb diets, this is a very good option and a delicious one too!

Femina’s take on Chicken Cutlets – cutlets are universally accepted and relished!

Lubna’s Dahi Bhalla – this is one cooling snack for a hot fasting day for sure!

Henna has bought with her Chicken Tikka Box Patties – sounds so delicious!

Lail’s very interesting tart shells filled with hummus and koftas is a beautiful idea for an Iftar get-together.

Zareena has made it healthier for all of you with her Palak Paneer Samosas.

Shazia makes making puffs a little more easier with her Mince Puff Tarts.

If you are in a mood for some traditional Malabar snack, then do try Fajee’s Chemeen Undaputtu.

Shanaz comes along with her droolworthy Shish Tawuk Rolls, for that Arab touch.

Huma’s Maaqouda is a very interesting Algerian version of our own aloo tikkis.

Maria’s Afghani Bolani recipe is complete with three different fillings!

Staying true to the country she resides in, Fami brings along some Saudi Samosas!

These Egg and Cheese Breakfast Rolls by Nadira deserve to be tried at least once. Sounds amazing!

Asheera’s Murg Ke Phool is a steamed snack, which looks really pretty.

Do check out Asiya’s Punjabi Samosas, that are an all time favorite.

These Spicy Chicken Rolls from Sadia look like an amazing and healthy baked treat!

Finally, Shabna comes along with Mutta Chutney Kebab which is a Malabar favorite!

If you find this post interesting or helpful for yourself, please do share the post across your social media handles to spread the word! Do stay tuned for the second part of this series – which will focus on sweet snacks, desserts and drinks for Ramadan, InShaAllah…

The post Ramadan Iftar Snack Ideas | Ramadan Recipes appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

As you may know, I had hosted the MLLA #109 last month. Thank you Lisa for the opportunity to host the event. Moving on to the delicious recipes I received as entries for this event:

First up was “Ulundu Saadam” by Mildly Indian – a delicious South Indian rice combined with black urad dal, definitely a forgotten, goodness loaded recipe… Thank you for sharing, Seema…

An attempt at making “Handvo” by The Humble Lentil was the next entry…

Who wouldn’t love this “Tomato and Basil Chickpea Burger” by Roast Chicken & A Country Walk… Definitely a meal I would consider digging my teeth into!

This “Zucchini Broad Beans Peas Mint Soup” bought over by Allotment to Kitchen is just perfect for a cold winter night…

And finally my entry into the event – my favorite Chickpea Pulao…

Thank you to all who took the effort to participate in the event. I am excited to have got some very interesting recipes as a part of the event…

The post Event Round-up ~ “My Legume Love Affair” (MLLA) #109 appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Sahl ibn Sa`d (Allah be well-pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “People will continue to be in a good condition as long as they hasten to break the fast.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

The sunnah of breaking the fast is with an odd number of dates, usually one or three. If not available, then it is to be done with dry dates or water.

At home, we like to keep our meals simple during Iftar. The men feel that they won’t be able to get through the prayers, especially Tharaweeh, if they have heavy meals. That thought is such a relief for me, Alhamdulillah. I have seen many women make very lavish meals for Iftar, thereby dedicating the time meant for increasing their prayers and Quran recitation, towards making food. True, feeding fasting people does come with its rewards, but if it causes you to waste your time, cook excess and maybe lead to food wastage, then the whole purpose is defeated. May Allah make it easy for us to keep within our limits and avoid excesses… Aameen…

We always have dates and water immediately after the azaan goes on. I always have a juice and a thick warm drink for everybody, though it is not something that HD and the kids enjoy. Liquids will help them to recuperate and feel energetic instantly so normally I make and serve them in small glasses. We also have generous quantities of fruits, as it gives instant energy and keeps the tummy light as well. Sometimes we make fruit chaat, and most of the time, the watermelon becomes mashed up.

Some of the drinks that we usually have are listed below:

• Watermelon Milkshake
• Rose Milk with Basil Seeds
• Dates Lassi
• Apple Banana Flax Smoothie
• Qamardeen
• Fruit Custard Drink
• Pomegranate Juice
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Pineapple Orange Juice
• Fig Date Smoothie
• Mango Juice – the most sorted after drink!

These are just some in the blog. If you would like to have more options, then do check out the “Cold Drinks” tab!

As for the warm drink we have once all our fruits are done, and mostly after our Maghrib prayer, we normally make the below options:

• Thari Kanji
• Oats Kanji
• Aatta Ka Doodh
• Kooka Kaachiyathu
• Ragi Malt
• Sahlab

Half an hour before going for Tharaweeh, we settle down to a strong cup of tea and anything that our hands go on at home. Most probably it’s biscuits or leftover loaf cake baked for suhoor. But at times, the folks do crave for something fried. The frequency is usually once every three days, which according to me is good enough. Some of the easy ones I resort to during the weekdays are shared below:

• Pazhampori – my kids love this to the core so it gets repeated mostly!
• Ulli Pakvada
• Parippu Vada
• Eylanchi
• Eathapazham Porichathu – Dates Fritters
• Pinjiyappam – Banana Fritters
• Egg Pakoda
• Chicken and Cheese Pockets
• Pizza Rolls
• Erachi Pola
• Chicken Olive Bread Cups
• Sweet Corn Vadas
• Mixed Vegetable Pakodas

The kids are forgiving during the weekdays but during the weekends, they do expect me to put in a little more effort. Like I said, even if I don’t make anything, they are OK with it, but sometimes the guilt does come by that I am not making anything for them. Since I am able to spread time for my process, I go for a little more complex recipes like the below:

• Athishaya Pathiri – a deep favorite especially for Rasha
• Chicken Cutlets
• Kozhi Ada
• Kozhi Masala Vada
• Kannur style Chicken Rolls
• Chemmeen Kinnapathiri
• Mini Sausage Rolls
• Chicken Croquettes
• Chicken Samosas

If you browse through the blog, there are many more options Alhamdulillah, but at the moment, I am just sharing what are our normal favorites for a quick reference.

We normally have dinner after Tharaweeh. Many houses in Malabar region have their dinner before Tharaweeh, and then eat another heavy meal of rice, curry and fish either late into the night or during the Suhoor time. We stopped that practise in our house long back, but not without taking time to convince umma that we didn’t want a full meal that would make us feel drowsy during school hours. Since Tharaweeh gets over around 10 pm, HD and B also prefer eating dinner at that time. Here are some meals that I usually resort to in such cases:

• Aleesa – either I make it plain to pair with Varutharacha Chickken Curry, or make it with masala, or else make it Emirati style. Either way, this is a totally filling meal in itself.
• Puttu with Kadala Curry or Cherupayar Curry
• Idli or Dosa (I use the same batter to make dosa, just add water to bring it to the required consistency) with Vengaaya Sambar and Chutney
• Poori Bhaji
• Chapathi with Chicken Roast/ Malai Chicken/ Chicken Tikka Masala
• Mutton is very rarely made but if we crave for it, then it ends up becoming Mutton Thengapaal Curry or Varutharacha Mutton Curry
• Whole Chicken Roast with Hummus and store bought khuboos
• If the folks crave for rice, then I make Moru Curry or Rasam, Beans Upperi/ Carrot Upperi/ Cabbage Upperi and Fish Fry
• Asking for biriyani is very rare during Ramadan, but if yes, then I normally resort to this Chicken Pulao Biriyani or this utterly delicious Chettinad Style Pressure Cooker Biriyani
• Some days all we need is a glass or two of thick Jeeraka Kanji!

As you can see, I always tend to cook up that takes minimum time for me in the kitchen! We normally don’t make soups, but if you belong to a family who wants them, you can check out the soups on the blog for some ideas.

There are so many ideas on the blog, which InShaAllah, you can check through and utilize. Hope the above post will serve as a guideline for your meal planning and optimum utilization of your valuable time, to commit more towards Ibaadah, InShaAllah… May Allah make it easy for us to earn His maximum mercy and blessings during the upcoming month… Aameen…

The post Ramadan Meal Planning – Iftar appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. ” (Surah Al Baqarah: 183)

Ramadan, I stress is not about eating, rather controlling your food intake for maximum benefit. A heavy Suhoor will not allow you to have a good working day. A heavy Iftar likewise will not give you the energy to go ahead with the long night prayers. To take maximum advantage of our time, it is important to have light meals that gives you enough energy to keep going through the days.  I am thankful to have people in the family who don’t believe in heavy meals. Even the kids like something light. We hardly fry anything during Iftar time, even though I do make something or the other during the weekends, since we have late dinners then. As I go by the post, I will split how our normal Ramadan day looks like…

Suhoor:

Suhoor, as you all know, is the pre dawn meal. The below hadith implies how important that meal is to a fasting person:

It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1923; Muslim, 1095. 

The Suhoor gives you the strength to go through the activities of the day, whether it is work at office or housework, so we need to ensure that the meal we have is very effective. However, we have to also make sure that we do not overeat as well.

There was a time when we used to have full meals of rice, two types of curry, fish fry and a vegetable stir fry for Suhoor. It was literally like eating lunch early in the morning. The whole meal used to make us so drowsy at school, that we would complain to umma about it. But she would say her normal dialogue, “How will you go through the day? Won’t you feel hungry?” It took us so many years to make umma stop that tradition and slowly we moved onto lighter meals, and still now, I follow the same. We ensure to drink at least two glasses of water and have three dates as a part of our meal. Some meals that we love to have for suhoor are appended below:

Cooked Oatmeal – Oats is considered to be a very filling and fiber rich breakfast at any time. It keep you full and fuels a lot of energy for a long period of time. What more, it gets done so fast without much effort. Here a few ideas for you to refer:

• Oats Porridge with Dates and Honey
• Nutella Oats – especially for the kids!
• Banana Almond Oatmeal
• Chia Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples

Overnight Oats – nothing is as convenient as overnight oats. You can make it the previous day and just dump it in fridge, just to have it in the morning. When combined with a variety of fruits and nuts, it is a wholesome meal as well. Some ideas for you:

• Strawberry Walnut Overnight Oats
• Tropical Overnight Oats
• Fig Almond Overnight Oats
• Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Grilled Pineapple Pecan Overnight Oats
• Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats

If you don’t like too much bites but still would like to have something quick, then you can try the Vegan Mixed Berry Overnight Smoothie!

Other Suhoor options – It is not necessary that we have oats everyday! Anybody would get bored of having it all the time, right? Here are some of the meals that we have at times:

• Avalum Pazhavum ~ Beaten Rice Flakes with Plaintains
• Aval Kuzhachathu ~ Rice Flakes Banana Mash
• Puttu with bananas and little sugar
• Wholewheat Flax Banana Bread
• Wholewheat Oats Apple Cinnamon Loaf
• Wholewheat Dates Cake
• Chakkara Gothambu ~ Whole Wheat in Jaggery

If you are thinking sweet is all that we have for Suhoor, then you are wrong! Yes we prefer having more sweet than savory, but here are some meals that we like to have during that time:

• Umma’s Scrambled Eggs
• Cucumber Labneh Sandwich
• Chicken Salad Sandwich
• Savory Semiya/ Vermicelli

We have this with a side of tea or coffee, though we prefer to avoid them and have milk instead, to avoid the dehydration effect that these can cause. On days we fail to wake up on time, we have a cup of milk with cornflakes, or dunk a couple of slice of bread or digestive biscuits, and finish it off with water and three dates.

InShaAllah, tomorrow I will share some quick and convenient Iftar meal ideas, so stay tuned…

The post Ramadan Meal Planning – Suhoor appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.